Gardening writer JACKIE WARBURTON is having a great season keeping the bugs at bay. How did she do it?
Butterflies and moths were in abundance in spring, so there is an explosion of caterpillars, which is good for the birds.
While caterpillars can be a pest in large populations, a little chewed leaf in the garden is a sign of good biodiversity.
But in the vegetable patch and the orchard, all caterpillars are a menace, and crops need to be protected.
The best solution this year for me has been kaolin clay, which is a natural occurring mineral that can be sprayed over fruit trees to protect them from certain pests and diseases.
Best of all it protects plants from heat stress and sunburn.
The milky covering does not look attractive, but it’s better than netting. I have reapplied it every month or so and, so far, I don’t have any codling moth or pear and cherry slug issues.
Gravel and drought-tolerant plants are back on trend as are all low-growing plants that are no fuss and low maintenance.
Grasses are still in the mix for the best blooms and one of the best Australian native grasses that comes to mind is a new variety called Foxtail Grass (Pennisetum alopecuroides). It likes full sun and will survive drought times through the summer.
If it’s not deadheaded in autumn and winter, the foliage and spent flowers can add winter interest as well as attracting insects to the garden.
Overall, my best bloom at the moment would be Purple Loosestrife (Lysimachia atropurpurea “Beaujolais”). This small, upright little grey leaf plant has the most amazing deep-maroon flowers and its small flower spikes curve at the tips. They look terrific in a vase.
MY best books for this year are two must-haves for any Canberra gardener.
The first is The Man Who Planted Canberra by fellow CityNews columnist Robert Macklin with the late John Grey.
This is a brilliant read and explains why and how we have a city of trees. I met John Grey at a Friends of ACT Trees event and understand his passion for trees.
The second book is called Plantology. It took Teena Crawford and Lisa Ellis, landscape designer and nursery manager respectively, many years to write.
While not all the species of plants highlighted will grow in our climate, it does give a range of substitutes. This is the best reference book for anyone planning to design and plant a garden.
MY best success in the vegetable patch this year has been carrots, which I’ve been successful in growing bunches not rows. Once a carrot plant had self-seed, I bent over the flower stalk and let the seed germinate on its own. I thinned out seedlings in autumn and watered occasionally through winter.
Now I’ve had a good supply of carrots in the garden to pick and cook.
My Stella Cherry tree also had its best crop. It’s self-pollinating and great for any small garden.
Jottings
- Pick stone fruit when there is a blush on the skin.
- Sow seeds of broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower.
- Keep watering grapes and pumpkins while growing.
- Pinch outside shoots on tomatoes for better-growing fruit.
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